While dealing with delegates from UK or when you happen to be in the UK for corporate meetings, keep in mind that a firm handshake is the norm irrespective of the gender of the person you happen to meet or greet. People shake hands upon arrival and at the time of leaving. Maintain eye contact during the handshake, but do not prolong either of the two acts. It will make people uncomfortable. Business cards are exchanged at the time of introduction without any formal ritual. It may be put away by your British counterpart with just a cursory glance, but don’t get offended by it.

Now, let’s follow some important gift giving etiquette norms in the country. The British people tend to exchange gifts quite frequently between close friends and family members on personal and social festive occasions like Christmas. However, giving and receiving gifts is not a common practice of British business culture. In fact, your British business colleagues might get embarrassed on receiving any gift. The only exception can be made at the time of finalizing a deal. You can mark the occasion by giving an appropriate commemorative item gift.

Again, avoid showy objects that may make the recipient feel awkward. Small gifts like a pen or a book, suitably inscribed, would serve as genuine gesture. Flowers or wine/champagne as a token of thanks for junior colleagues will suffice.

The key point to remember when giving gifts to your UK business associates is to be tasteful and restrained and unostentatious.

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There are certain nuances of the British behavior that one needs to understand before learning gift giving etiquettes in the UK.

The British essentially are very private and reserved people. For them, privacy is very important, and they expect others to respect it. They like to maintain a distance and don’t like to open up as much, at least to begin with. There’s a proper way of presenting yourself in most situations. The British people strictly adhere to protocol. They do not make use of effusive language, and show a marked tendency to employ ‘qualifiers’ like ‘possibly’, ‘it could be’ or ‘perhaps’. They are restrained in their hand gestures and overall body language.

It’s important to keep in mind the fact that the British can get quite formal; they prefer to work with individuals and firms they know well personally or through their associates. In this regard, the younger generation is much more open, and looks beyond long-standing personal relationships for doing business.

Nonetheless, relationship building and networking often hold key to long-term business success. It takes longer to build relationships or friendships with the British business associates. However, once they are formed, the bonds tend to be deep. In fact, most Britons look for forming long-term relationships, while doing business. They will tend to go into their shell and become cautious if it appears to them that you are running after a quick deal. Gifts can be a way of increasing familiarity and building bonds, but as explained, one should be careful in following the gift giving norms or else your purpose won’t be served.

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Let’s understand the ways of giving and receiving gifts – business or personal – in France. There are certain unstated conventions of selecting and presenting an appropriate gift in the country. The first thing to be kept in mind is that pompous display of generosity and warmth amid business associates through lavish gifts is unwarranted in France’s business culture. Though giving and receiving gifts is acceptable, you should exercise discretion. Even though gifts are given during social events, especially as a thank-you gesture after a dinner party, don’t get too fussy about its price tag. It need not be very expensive or showy.

Give thoughtful gifts like esoteric books and music collection that the recipient will like and appreciate. For this, you need to be familiar with the recipient’s tastes and interests. Any ethnic object, for example, a piece of art and craft or a coffee table book about your country will be a good gift idea.

One common mistake to avoid is tagging your business card with a gift since it goes against the French business etiquette.

If invited to a French home, carry quality chocolates, a special French dessert, high-quality liqueur or lovely flowers. Remember, chrysanthemums are for funerals. A gift of carnations may be interpreted as a sign of bad will. (Ensure that the bouquet is in odd numbers, in keeping with the old European tradition.) Don’t forget to send a personal thank-you note along with flowers or a basket of fresh fruit to your host the next day.

Holiday cards can be an appropriate gesture, particularly as an expression of sincere gratefulness to your business associates. Sending New Year’s greetings is another popular practice in France. This can be done during the entire month of January, i.e. first month of the New Year.

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Gift-giving is a key aspect of Japanese business protocol. Gifts are exchanged among colleagues on January 1 and July 15 to commemorate the year’s end and midyear respectively. 

The business culture of Japan lays emphasis on the ritual of gift-giving. It’s a good policy to carry an assortment of gifts. Thus, if you’re unexpectedly presented with a gift, you will be ready to reciprocate. Otherwise, the best time to give a gift is toward the end of your visit. 

In Japan, you may get a gift which appears modest, or perhaps, extravagant, but you will receive it for sure! The act or gesture is important than the gift; the objective matters more than the object itself. 

An expensive gift will not be considered as a bribe in the country. However, avoid giving one early in a business relationship or at any conspicuous moment.

A wrapped gift is usually carried inside a shopping bag to avoid ostentation and minimize show-off.

A gift for an individual should be presented in private. You should discreetly approach the person whom you wish to present the gift. If you are offering gifts to a group of people, ensure that all the recipients are together. Present the gift with both hands.

There’s a curious customary to term the gift you are presenting ‘tsumaranai mon (a dull or uninteresting thing”). This is meant to convey, “Our relationship matters more than this trivial offering.”

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Earlier corporate gifting played a major role in the Chinese markets. Today, however, gift giving or receiving is considered as a bribe and such an offense is punished severely. If one does wish to give a gift it needs to be given privately, it should not be something very expensive and should have a personal touch to it so that it seems like a gesture of friendship rather than a business gift.

Being a communist country gift giving and gifting to government officials became illegal. However, now the idea of gifting is picking up again.

• When gifting one should always remember that they should give a group gift i.e. a company should give another company a gift and not an individual a gift thus not being a bribe. It should be addressed to the head of the business team and shouldn’t be very expensive. When presenting the gift a few words about what it is and what significance it has should be mentioned.
• It is compulsory that the company logo should be present on the gift. Chinese will refuse a gift, sometimes repeatedly. It is expected, however, that the giver will persist and the recipient’s acceptance will eventually follow.
• Gifts should always be presented with two hands & should be should be given in pairs as this is considered as good luck.
• Never give a clock or any sharp object as a gift because the Chinese meaning for clock is death and when a knife or any sharp object is presented it means the cutting of relationships.
• Avoid wrapping gifts in white, blue or black, which are colors associated with funerals, and avoid writing in red ink, which symbolizes the end of a relationship. Red, yellow and pink are seen as joyful colors, and are acceptable for gift wrap.

If you plan on wrapping your gift, red wrapping paper is best. The Chinese have many superstitions surrounding color, and red is considered to be a relatively safe gift wrap color choice.

The Important Chinese festivals are -
• Chinese New Year/Lunar New Year (January/February)
• Spring Lantern Festival/ Yuen Siu Festival (January/February)
• Ching Ming Festival (March/April)
• Birthday of Tin Hau (April/May)
• Cheung Chau Bun Festival (April/May)
• Dragon Boat Festival (June)
• Hungry Ghost Festival (August/September)
• Mid-Autumn Festival (September/October)
• Chung Yeung Festival (September/October)

For detailed understanding of each festival click here

Appreciated Gifts by the Chinese -

• A good cognac, or other fine liqueur.
• A fine pen (not a pen with red ink-writing in red ink symbolizes severing ties)
• Solar calculators.
• Kitchen gadgets Stamps, if the recipient is interested in them (stamp collecting is very popular here)
• Acceptable gifts for a company include items from your country or city, such as handicrafts, or an illustrated book. Be sure to bring a supply of these items with you, so that you can reciprocate if it happens that you are presented with a gift.
• A banquet is usually a welcome gift, since it’s likely you will be invited to one, you will have to follow Chinese business protocol and reciprocate.
• Gifts of food are acceptable, but not at dinner parties or other occasions where appetizers and meals will be served. Candy and fruit baskets, however, are acceptable as thank-you gifts sent after these events.
• Eight is considered one of the luckiest numbers in Chinese culture. If you receive eight of any item, consider it a gesture of good will.
• Yixing pots make the best Chinese gifts. They can be simple and elegant, or exotic and elaborate. And everyone loves them because collecting teapots is a popular hobby in China these days.

Gifts to Avoid

• Scissors, knives, or other sharp objects can be interpreted as the severing of a friendship or other bond.
• Straw sandals, Clocks are to be avoided as they are associated with funerals.
• Handkerchiefs Four of any item (the Cantonese word for “four” sounds similar, in the same language, to “death”)
• Gifts or wrapping paper in white, black, or blue.

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